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Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Bush Credits Ballard Victory To Peterson Tax Increases

Mayor-elect Greg Ballard had the honor of meeting President George Bush during his visit to New Albany today. WTHR's Kevin Rader asked Ballard what he talked to the President about. Ballard told Rader the President said he was going to mention him in his speech. And he did. "Voters in your capital city voted for Greg Ballard and ousted Mayor Bart Peterson because he raised your taxes," Bush told the New Albany audience. Ballard's wife, Winnie, accompanied her husband during the visit. Asked by Rader about the experience, Winnie replied, "Awesome."

In a press release issued this afternoon by his staff, Ballard said, "Winnie and I were honored by the White House's invitation to welcome President Bush to New Albany." "His message of keeping taxes low as a way of promoting economic growth is exactly what I plan to do as Indianapolis' mayor."

New Albany is located in the 9th congressional district. Rep. Baron Hill (D) greeted President Bush at the airport in Louisville. Former Rep. Mike Sodrel (R), who is facing off against Hill for the fourth time next year, attended the New Albany event and was recognized by Bush during his speech.

17 comments:

So will Ballard rescind that 0.65% COIT increase? Supposedly voters were so upset at it that they elected Ballard. Wouldn't it be the "right thing" for the new Republican Council and Republican Mayor to rescind it? After all, George Bush himself said Ballard owed his election to that tax increase - shouldn't it be cut now?

Or was that COIT increase really needed and the opposition to it by Republicans was just cheap campaign posturing that unfortunately worked?

It's funny isn't. The president is trying to portray himself as a fiscal conservative. People are tired of high taxes, but his soiree into Iraq and his requests to congress for Mo’ Money just don’t square. Of course, people like you are Duped every election. Party loyalty over common sense...

Face your it, you party is out of touch. Let not forget your beloved Governor raised taxes too! Just look at the pole barn they are building downtown for the Colts. Again, it is funny you don’t her the owner of the 500 race track asking Hoosier to build a bigger better track….

Ballard and those with him actually stood in line outside the event with the normal people.

He didn't seem to see why he should go to the front of the line despite being a newly-minted elected official (though eventually someone came out and told him that he should come ahead inside; they didn't seem to understand why he would even bother to stand in line).

Inside, before Bush got there, Greg Ballard was practically the center of attention. Everybody was wanting to walk up and talk to him (even Becky Skillman, whose boss wouldn't have a thing to do with Ballard before he won the election).

6:23, You may be very very surprised about the taxes that IMS does not pay. They've had sweethart deals from the time the late Tony Hulman bought the track.Gate admission, parking and concessions are all cash.The IMS vault is located under the Museum and underground tunnels move the cash from each corner of the track to this vault. The vault hs been there since before Prohibition.IMS does not charge sales tax on what you buy there and they do not figure it into the price.IMS brings a ton of cash into town so if they receive a little "special treatment" that's fine by me. They don't ask for handouts because they've always received them, always.BTW, those tunnels are one of Indianapolis' best kept secrets.

Wilson.. GIVE IT UP!!!He can't rescind the tax this year because YOUR council passed a budget and spent the money already! Bart Peterson put this city in the position that we're in, Greg will need time to get us out! It took Bart 8 years to get us here. It can't be fixed overnight. If it could, you should have run for mayor.The COIT increase was NOT necessary. Bart did it because he is too f*ck*ng stupid and greedy to pass a budget that was actually beneficial to the city.Consolidation DID not save a dime of taxpayers money. It cost us millions, and Bart used some fuzzy math to show different. Even his own studies proved it would cost more. Bart just wanted to show that HE was in charge and really HATES indianapolis. I give him until June before he moves to his house in Hendricks County.

...and anybody should take what "anonymous" says seriously about other commenters? Why not discuss political issues like taxes which is what the blog posting is about? Or am I that important to some envious folks lives? Interesting!

By the way GaryJ, the approved budget is not money spent already: it is merely appropriated maximums. Ballard is perfectly free NOT to spend the allocated money. He can cut freely - the budget merely prohibits him from spending more!

So does anybody really expect him to NOT spend what he was allocated by the Democratic Council? Let's see if his actions match his pre-election rhetoric!

Budgets and expenditures don't quite work like that, statutorily, Wilson...I know the make-believe world of township budgets trained you, but it's not the same in the real world of government finance.

The passage of the COIT technically removed the short-term deficit balance from the unfunded pensions. And that, single-handedly, lifted our bond rating. Those cut-throat Moody's folks only care about your ability to meet boligations, not anything else.

But the 2007 COIT increase along will not suffice long-term, unless a bunch of pensioners die sooner than life expectancy rates. This problem will come up again. It's an accutuarial certainty. So we'll see how this Republican mayor treats it. Prior Republican mayors ignored it, big-time, to our detriment.

I tend to give Ballard a lot of credit, and leeway, for awhile. I didn't vote for him, but I salute him, and if he chooses not to spend money that's collected (levy), he can save in many budgets. He has no authority over the budgets of elected county officials. If he wants to re-direct savings, he has to go back to the council.

Now, if you're so all-fired hot about budget integrity, let's talk about all those buildings Carl has...off the tax rolls...and the free storage of his Corvettes. And the police-outfitted Ford he drives...and all his travel...

Two things....first, praise from Bush on fiscal responsiblity rings very very hollow.....Ballard, if he was sincere during the campaign, should repeal the .65 increase in the COIT otherwise we will know early on that the as sold out to the monied interests.

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